Municipal Baths on Children's Island

Child Island, surrounded by the cultural treasures of Prague, calls for an artistic representation of all the elements and contrasts that collide here. The southern tip of Child Island is a place full of inspiration and tension. The river breaks against the island’s edge into two currents like a ship's keel. From the west, there is a lock chamber, and from the east, the roar of a weir. A wall of cyclopean masonry withstands the infinite flow of the Vltava. The concrete shell rising from the tip of the island seems to be permeable only for a few glimpses into the unique environment of Prague's shores.

Upon arriving at the island via a footbridge, I find myself on a roof. A colorful oval chimney draws me to the entrance. I descend, as if lying down in a bathtub, immersing myself into the ground. Only the unique atmosphere of intimacy and tranquility breathes here. Linearly arranged ovals form the layout of the house. As if the river's current had once smoothed giant boulders, where now another aquatic life emerges. Each boulder has its functions and a face made of colorful ceramic mosaics.

A true spatial experience awaits me as I enter the pool areas. I no longer search for narrow views and images of the city; the glass wall dazzles me with a wide view of the surroundings, which I also enjoy during my water relaxation. Concrete, steel, wood, and ceramic mosaic. Stone, Water, Fire, Sun, Wind, and again Water.

---

Jury's Comment:
Contextual solutions do not mean invisibility: the white figure of the baths mirrors the shape of Child Island and serves as a base for the Smíchov water tower in a distant view, analogous to the Mánes building on the opposite bank of the Vltava. The pronounced horizontal adds richness to the Prague panorama and, through nautical symbolism, evokes the atmosphere of river baths. The façade is rhythmically punctuated by window openings that offer carefully composed views from the interior to the city.